Thursday, June 19, 2025
Farmer's Union Insurance
605 Sports
Class B Track and Field Athletes to Watch - O’Neill siblings to shine at state meet for Bennett County
Bennett County's Rush O'Neill competes in the long jump during the Center of the Nation Invitational on April 16 in Belle Fourche.
(Matt Gade / 605 Sports)
May 26, 2025
 

By Ryan Deal 

605 Sports

The South Dakota state track and field meet is May 29-31 at Howard Wood Stadium. 

The three-day event features top-tier athletes from across the state, competing for individual and team success. 

Here’s a look at some of the top Class B athletes to watch: 

  • Bennett County siblings — Rush, Reagan and Peyson O’Neill — will once again dazzle the crowds at Howard Wood Stadium. The siblings have already established themselves as must-see track and field athletes in South Dakota, and we’re just getting started with the trio. Rush, a sophomore, has the top high jump mark (6-10) in all of South Dakota, has the best long jump distance (23-5), the best 200-meter dash (:22.20) and the third best 100-meter dash (:10.89) in Class B. He also has the third fastest time in the 100-meter dash (:10.89) in Class B. Reagan, a freshman, and Peyson, an eighth grader, will bolster Bennett County’s shot at a state championship. Reagan has the fastest 200-meter time (:24.10), the best long jump (19-7) and second fastest 100-meter dash (:11.81). Peyson has the top times in the 100-meter hurdles (:14.39), 300-meter hurdles (:43.36) and is tied with the best high jump at 5-6. The O’Neill sisters are also a part of the 400-meter relay, which ran a blistering :48.71 seconds at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays. 
  • Colman-Egan’s Jack and Jase Mousel will have fans seeing double this weekend. The twin brothers project to score major points for the Hawks, and strengthen their chances at competing for a team state championship. Jack has the third best high jump mark (6-4) and fourth fastest 200-meter dash (:22.67). Jase, meanwhile, has the third best triple jump (43-3.5), fourth best 400-meter dash (:51.38), fourth best long jump (21-5).
  • Arlington’s Chloe Raw will once again contend in the sprint races for the Cardinals. The senior has the top 100-meter dash (:11.78) and the second fastest 200-meter dash (:24.48). She’s also second in the long jump (18-0.25) and also runs on Arlington’s 400-meter relay, which has the second fastest time at :51.03.
  • Ipswich’s state championship aspirations rests on the shoulders of Kyle Hettich, Maxwell Kulesa, Rasmus Loken and Brody Davis. The quartet is expected to score major points as Tigers will be in the hunt for a state championship. Hettich, a junior, has the fastest time in the 100-meter dash (:10.73) and the second fast time in the 200-meter dash (:22.20). Kulesa, a senior, has the sixth fastest time in the 400-meter dash (:51.54) and seventh fastest time in the 800-meter run (2:02.97). Loken, a senior, has the best mark in the pole vault (13-9) and eighth best seed time in the 300-meter hurdles (:42.98). Davis, a junior, has the second best mark in the pole vault (12-9). The Tigers will also be in contention in the 400-meter relay, 800-meter relay and 1,600-meter relay. 
  • Centerville’s Emma Marshall will look to score major points for the Tornadoes. The senior has the best time in the 400-meter dash (:56.42), third fastest time in the 200-meter dash (:25.51) and has the third best long jump (17-9). 
  • Mitchell Christian’s Silas Holdeman headlines the Class B distance events. The sophomore distance ace has the best times in the 800-meter run (2:00.01), 1,600-meter run (4:28.80) and 3,200-meter run (9:47.42). 
  • Northwestern’s Ella Boekelheide will look to again do damage in the distance races for the Wildcats. The junior has the best times in the 800-meter run (2:19.64), 1,600-meter run (5:11.93) and 3,200-meter run (11:39.39). Boekelheide set the Class B meet record in the 1,600-meter run at state last season (5:00.55). 
  • Faulkton Area’s Spencer Melius is a one-man wrecking crew for the Trojans. The junior has the top seed marks in the 110-meter hurdles (:15.29) and javelin (179-2), while he has the second fastest mark in the 300-meter hurdles (:40.87). 
  • Burke’s Paige Bull and Iroquois/Lake Preston’s Hadlee Holt are expected to battle it out in two throwing events. Bull, a senior, has the best Class B discus throw at 143-5. Holt, a junior, is second entering state at 134-0. Holt has the best Class B shot put toss at 41 feet, while Bull is not far behind at 38-10. 
  • The Philip Scotties have a host of dynamic distance runners, and they project to score major points this weekend. Philip’s Baylor Burns, a junior, has the second best time in the 1,600-meter run (4:29.13), fifth best time in the 800-meter run (2:01.90) and fifth best time in the 3,200-meter run (10:13.47). Senior Trey Larson has the sixth best time in the 800-meter run (2:02.67), while junior Jack Peterson has the third best time in the 3,200-meter run (10:00.51) and sixth best time in the 1,600-meter run (4:39.58). The Scotties will also be in contention in the 400-meter relay, 3,200-meter relay and sprint medley relay. Senior thrower Evan Kroetch is also expected to score major points for the Scotties in the shot put and discus. 
  • Sanborn Central/Woonsocket’s Elizabeth Boschee will again be busy at the state track and field meet. The junior dabbles in a little bit of everything, and has qualified for three individual events. She has the best seed mark in the javelin (130-6), the third best high jump (5-5) and the sixth best 100-meter hurdles time (:15.84).
  • Sanborn Central/Woonsocket's Elizabeth Boschee competes in the javelin at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays on May 2 in Sioux Falls. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)